And So This Is Christmas
by OnlyANorthernSong
Summary: Let's hope it's a good one, without any tears. John/Shay, but mainly just stuff about the Lords and how Shay feels about people being afraid of her.


Hi! This is a Christmas story! It probably sucks, but, hey.......

...

Um...

It's Christmas time, so people have to pretend to like it, just like they do with really stale fruitcake!

The reason I didn't put this up on Christmas, like I planned, is because I'm going to Pennsylvania for Christmas! Amazing? Yes. I LOVE PLANE RIDES! Except when they crash, and then I have to live off of coconuts for FOUR YEARS! Not pleasant. Like this one time, my plane crashed, and I got a best friend- well, sure, he was really a volleyball with a handprint on it, but I didn't realize this until weeks after, when some guy accidentally sat on him and he deflated... Wilson!

ANYWAY! This is a random story that has nothing to do with the paragraph above. Please review.

I don't own JL. Or do I....?

* * *

_**AND SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS**_

_And what have you done? _

_Another year over, _

_And a new one just begun._

---

"Merry Christmas." She murmured, curling into his arms. John looked down at her, and gave her a slim smile in reply.

"You, too," He said. He slid out of the bed and stretched, reveling in the refreshing wind that blew in from outside. She opened her eyes, and rubbed them wearily, smirking at him from the bed. She stretched her arms, then leaned against the back of the bed.

"What do you want to do today?" She asked, her wings curling around her bare bodice as she felt the chilly air. "I feel like just relaxing...?"

"Sounds perfect," He agreed, his eyes falling outside onto the freshly fallen snow. "But Superman said we had to be at the watchtower."

"Crime doesn't take a break for Christmas, I know..." She muttered, rolling her eyes. She wrapped a sheet around herself as she stood, shivering. "But still, you'd think we could have one day off to snuggle."

"Shay," He said teasingly, smiling at her. "You know we can _snuggle _tonight..."

"Merry Christmas, John," She said with a raised eyebrow and a smirk as she went into the bathroom. "I'm going to have a nice, hot shower...care to join?"

---

"It's freezing out." She muttered, stepping from the shower, her bathrobe tight around her wet body. John smiled at her, as he tightened his towel around his waist.

"Good deduction. And here I always thought you were lying about being a detective."

"Stop being a wise-ass and find a jacket," She told him with a smirk, tossing her robe onto the bed as she pulled on some clothing. John, already dressed as he put on his ring, laughed.

"Real Christmas spirit, Shay," She rolled her eyes as she pulled on a heavy jacket.

"Come on then, Rudolph. We were supposed to be there ten minutes ago..."

"Maybe Scrooge will find some Christmas spirit and he won't care," John replied.

"Yea, right. Superman's the new Batman these days." Loyalty burned in John's chest, and Hawkgirl's words stung him.

"He has a right to be grumpy." He snapped. She turned to him, surprise shining in her fiery green eyes. The eyes softened, however, and she nodded, lowering her head slightly.

"I know, John." Guilt overcame John immediately.

"I'm sorry, Shay- I get crazy, you know that..." She smirked at him, though the hurt and sadness was still present in her eyes.

"I understand, John. You don't have to apologize."

"But- I shouldn't have- I mean- I know you were close to him, too." She smiled softly at him.

"Yea." She turned to the door, wrapping her arms around her chest. "Let's get going, huh?" At a lack for other words, John merely nodded, and followed her out into the brisk December air.

---

"You're late."

"I know, Superman- we just got held up." Superman glared at him, his hazel eyes filled with rage and disbelief.

"In _space_?" John didn't know how to respond, but Hawkgirl immediately snapped,

"Forgive us for enjoying one day in over a year!" John turned to her, guilt wringing his heart. His words had had an impact, and now she was yelling at the Man of Steel.

"Superman- don't listen to her- it's been a long morning." Surprisingly, something like sympathy shone in Superman's eyes. He nodded stiffly.

"Don't let it happen again." He muttered. "Now, come on." They walked down the hallways, passing the occasional worker that Batman had supplied. John eyed them, somewhat disgusted with how they looked at him. A mix of fear and awe. Didn't they realize that he was just like them? He was a human too, after all. Hawkgirl noticed, and smiled comfortingly at him.

"Don't worry, John," She murmured. "None of them ever feel...you know...around us." John bit back saying that civilians had felt perfectly at ease with one hero, and nodded silently. They entered the meeting room. Diana already sat at one of the chairs, toying with her short hair absentmindedly. She glanced up sharply as they arrived.

"You're late." She said bluntly.

"We got held up," John replied with a shrug, holding her eyes as he sat in one of the chairs. "We're here now, anyway." Diana gave him a curt glare, before nodding.

"J'onn says he will be busy monitoring."

"Monitoring what?" Hawkgirl scoffed, looking distantly at where another chair used to sit. "There hasn't been any real danger for over a year, now."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Superman said darkly, sitting in his own chair. Hawkgirl gave him a look John couldn't comprehend, before shrugging and slumping back in her chair.

"And Batman?"

"Did you really expect him to come him?" Wonder Woman grunted, sounding annoyed. "Let's just get started, huh?" Superman nodded.

"Does anyone have any business?" He asked. No one replied- just as they hadn't replied to this question in a long time. He nodded, seemingly pleased. "Well, thanks to Batman, I've got a list of old villains we still have to find and apprehend."

"Do we really need to find them?" Hawkgirl asked distantly. "It's not like it matters. They're not doing anything anymore." Superman sighed.

"Hawkgirl, if you can't handl-"

"I can handle it, Kal-El. I just think you should bring up some valuable information, instead of garbage. I doubt he'd want us terrorizing his old villains, anyway." The rage that filled Superman's eyes reminded John of when anyone mentioned Luther.

"Hawkgirl!" Superman shouted, slamming his fists onto the table as he stood, anger seeping from him. "Do you really think he'd rather them be running amuck!? Free?! With no Justice!"

"He was never a lord of justice." Diana whispered, a faint voice of reason beside Superman's shouts. "He was merely a servant of it."

"And that's what got him killed." Superman hissed. Diana looked down at the table, her face torn, her eyes broken.

"So, what do you suggest?" John asked, his voice hollow. John could barely recognize it coming from his own mouth. "To go to the other extreme?"

"If that's what it takes." Superman replied, holding his eyes. John didn't avert them, and Superman seemed surprised by this action. "Haven't you noticed," He continued. "Since we became-"

"Tyrants?"

"-leaders," He continued coldly. "That the crime rate has gone to an all-time low? That America completely has had about twenty murders this _month_?" He paused, then continued. "And, if we continued with our paths, the paths we were destined to travel, the number could be even _lower_." John felt resolve form itself within him. He didn't know how, but Superman had persuaded him. "And you know that too many innocents were killed before. Can we risk it?"

---

"You agree with him?"

"Of course." He replied. "I was stupid to think he was being currupt- he's simply being rational and smart." Hawkgirl eyed him warily.

"About everything? Even about Flash's old villains?"

"They're a threat, Shay," John replied easily. The answers were all too simple when he stopped worrying about the details, letting Superman and Batman handle those difficult things.

"No, they aren't, and you know it. They don't even do anything anymore!"

"They did before." John replied, stopping his gait to look at her. He held her eyes. "Just because they stopped doesn't mean they're innocent. If Luther had stopped after he killed him, would you have let him go?"

"Of-of course not," She stammered, surprised. "Bu-but that's different."

"How?" John replied, before walking in the other direction. Feeling terribly alone and confused, Shayera walked to her room.

---

"Hawkgirl?" Hawkgirl looked up. "Hawkgirl?" Repeated the deep, calm voice. She smiled slightly, and pressed the button on the wall. The metal door slid open, and J'onn stood in the doorway. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Hawkgirl replied, rubbing dust from her eyes. She wondered vaguely when she'd fallen asleep. "Just tired."

"Do you need to talk? Green Lantern said you seemed upset."

"You know John," She replied with a smirk. "He likes to think he knows women."

"You _do _seem upset," The martian urged. She sighed, smirked, then nodded.

"Fine. I was a little shaken up. But really, I just needed some sleep."

"I doubt sleep cured your anxiety." She shrugged, then looked at him earnestly.

"Fine- okay? I'm thinking about this whole thing, and I realize we've become our namesake- Lords. We- we do all these things, and we circumvent the law in doing it. We're breaking the law to uphold it. I've hated hypocrisy all my life- and now...well," She shrugged. He smiled at her.

"You don't need to worry, Hawkgirl. You are breaking minor laws, with the Government's approval, to uphold much more important laws that save hundreds of thousands."

"But that's the point, J'onn! We _are _the government now." She fingered the mask on her head gently, realizing she hadn't taken it off to sleep. "We _are _lords."

"I suppose you worry what Wally would think as well." She looked up in surprise, and, as a soft smile breached her features, she nodded slightly. "He would be proud." J'onn told her firmly. "We are continuing his work."

"But- his old villains-"

"Deserve whatever fate they receive. They tried to kill Flash- they tried to do what Luther accomplished. They are no better then he." The logic was flawless, but something still nagged at the back of Hawkgirl's mind.

"But- everyone who looks at us. There's fear...awe too, but mostly fear. The people don't trust us."

"We have saved them many times, Hawkgirl." J'onn murmured. "We will save them many more times, perhaps from themselves. Many will support us, as they do now. Others will prefer a rebellious lifestyle. You cannot wish for the trust of an entire planet. To do so would be foolish." Shayera nodded, her eyes on the floor. All she truly wanted was the smiles and cheers as she or the others arrived somewhere.

"Merry Christmas, J'onn," She murmured. The martian smiled, and left the room, as she soaked in her confusion; and also determination to make the world a better place; for Wally.

---

"Merry Christmas," Clark muttered as the martian exited the room. A swift nod was his reply.

-----------------

_A very Merry Christmas  
And a Happy New Year  
Let's hope it's a good one,  
without any tears._

_--------------  
_

The end. In case you couldn't figure out what was happening when the text just ended....

And remember folks: War is over, if you want it. Happy X-Mas!

Remember to lock your doors and close up your chimneys!

BTW: Happy Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa!


End file.
